But if you’re like Anita Kolka, 44, a New York entrepreneur, you may have discovered that attaining ideal arms is a pesky business. “It’s the part of my body that bothers me the most,” Ms. Kolka said.

A couple of years ago, she noticed that even her regular gym regimen wasn’t keeping her biceps toned. “I’m fit,” she said. “I’m working with personal trainers, but it’s hard to have those nice muscles like a 20-year-old.” Her biggest gripe: When she waved her hands, her arms jiggled.

So, after hearing raves from girlfriends, Ms. Kolka headed to the office of the Manhattan dermatologist Neil Sadick to try the EndyMed 3DEEP, a radio frequency device that delivers heat deep into the skin to boost collagen production and produce a tightening effect. After four treatments (at $400 each) with four to go, she says she has seen a noticeable improvement in her jiggle test.

“Instead of buying a new handbag or shoes, I got new arms,” she said, laughing. “Besides, if you’re wearing the fancy new bag, you don’t want your arm flab hanging over it.”

Arm flab is but one lament. Jessica Wu, a dermatologist, said that keratosis pilaris, which occurs when hair follicles are clogged with excess keratin (a.k.a. chicken skin), is the No. 1 arm complaint she hears in her Los Angeles office. The condition is harmless, but K. P. (as it’s commonly called) can look rough and bumpy or resemble acne. Dr. Wu recommends Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash, which contains skin-sloughing salicylic acid, to smooth arm texture.

“Just use a washcloth,” she cautions. “You can’t scrub the bumps away, and a harsh loofah can cause more inflammation.” If a more aggressive treatment is necessary, Dr. Wu offers an in-office chemical peel containing salicylic and lactic acids.

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Sephora, Eucerin, Neutrogena and Avène make products that can help improve arms.

Lasers can tackle sun spots, but if that’s too much of a commitment, Dr. Wu suggests covering them with body makeup, like the Sephora Airbrush Bronzer for Face and Body. “Bronzer is better than self-tanner in this case, because self-tanner actually grabs onto the spots and makes them even darker,” she said.

Others may despair over their dark elbows. “I’ve had patients who tried to use lemon to lighten the area,” Dr. Wu said. “One used steel wool on her elbows, abrading them so raw they scabbed over and ended up being darker.”

For the less obsessive, she suggests products like Eucerin Professional Repair Extremely Dry Skin Lotion that contain urea. “It helps dissolve and remove dead skin,” she said.

And though radio-frequency devices are still touted as the gold standard for tackling slack arm flesh, or bat wings, there are flashy new imports in the field. European doctors have been using radio frequency techniques coupled with microneedling, with what they report as good results. (Microneedling is just what it sounds like: Tiny needles create mini-injuries that spur collagen production as they heal.)

Jamé Heskett, a women’s health and family physician in Manhattan, is using Miracu threads, an innovation from South Korea. Essentially, the procedure involves injecting a thread of polydioxanone under the skin, which is said to dissolve over several months and stimulate collagen production.

“It’s better than tightening alone,” Dr. Heskett said. “You’ll also get a lifting effect, and it’s only as invasive as a Botox or filler injection.”

Being an early adopter, though, will cost you an arm and, well, an arm. For both right and left limbs, Dr. Heskett’s treatment costs $3,000.